Editorial

We at The Grinnell Magazine know good photography is an essential part of the experience of reading the magazine, and thus we take it very seriously. Photography allows you to see, as well as read about, the Grinnell campus as it exists today.

On Oct. 29, 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke on the Grinnell campus. He delivered his prophetic message, "Remaining Awake During a Revolution," just one day before beginning his 19th jail sentence for his involvement in the civil rights movement, and only six months before his April 1968 assassination. Forty years later, King's words are more relevant than ever. Grinnell College commemorated the anniversary with a week-long symposium on campus, Sept. 23-29, 2007.

During the summer of 1970, I was a member of the construction crew that built the Physical Education Complex, or PEC. It was a hot job during a hot summer during a hot time. As I watched the building come down during 2010–11 while visiting my son, C.J. Erickson ’11, I began to remember.

Spring 1970

A bit of perspective is in order. Spring 1970 was tumultuous in America. Between April 13 and May 13, 1970: